Soulmate
by applecoral
Summary: AU. If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul-mate, would you want to know?
1. Chapter 1

**Soulmate**

**Author's Note: Just a thing based off of a picture I saw on tumblr. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**Rated [K+]**

* * *

_If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul-mate, would you want to know?_

In the year 2020, a new discovery was found. A special type of watch was created. But it didn't tell time. No, it foretold the exact time you would meet your soul-mate. Once they turned eighteen, all citizens of Marvel had to go receive this implant, willingly or not. Some didn't want it because they believed that they had already found their soul-mate, and some didn't want to get it to find out their soul-mate might have died already. But it was a law to be followed by not only the Marvel citizens, but everyone all around the world.

On November 22, newly eighteen Natasha Romanoff was at the hospital, getting the implant. She had a high pain tolerance, but those were the most heart-wrenching fifteen minutes of her life. She didn't dare look until the procedure was over. Natasha finally opened her eyes and stared at it blankly. It was a plain white, with an emerald green lining. Date, month, year and time down to the very last second was printed in black on the watch. The device was stuck securely on the inside of her left wrist. Before they had died, her parents had said that when you meet your soul-mate, when the clock reaches zero, the watch would be able to peel off. But the most important thing to Natasha was the time on the clock.

_Six years, one month, four days, nine hours, twenty minutes and thirty-four seconds._

It was going to be a very long time, but Natasha could wait. She would wait, for the day she would find her soul-mate.

* * *

Every day, Natasha would check her watch as many times as she could, hoping every time that she looked at the device, it would change to zero and she would meet her soul-mate. It was a foolish thought, but it never hurt to dream.

"Natasha?" Jane, one of her best friends, waved a hand in front of the redhead's face.

"What?" Natasha looked up.

"Stop staring at your watch. It's only been a week."

"Easy for you to say. You only have three months until your time is up." Natasha took a bite of her sandwich.

"You're still only eighteen. I'm twenty-three." Jane shot her a look. Natasha merely shrugged.

* * *

For the next three years, Natasha had to watch as her friends all found their soul-mates, as their clocks reached zero, as they disappeared on her friends' wrists.

Jane met Thor Odinson when she accidentally hit him with her car. He had absolutely charmed her at the hospital with his gentlemanly manners. His Australian accent and his amazing physique helped too.

Steve met Tony Stark, the genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist. Steve was on a tour at Stark Industries, and had freaked out, when he realized his clock had run out of time. Tony happened to be there, and had loudly exclaimed that his soul-mate was somewhere in the room.

Clint met Bruce Banner, when Bruce saved him from being hit by a swerving car. Bruce was a quiet science professor, but he was absolutely perfect for Clint.

Natasha cried at Jane and Thor's wedding, because she was happy for them, but partly because she was lonely. All her friends had someone, while Natasha got to be the third wheel whenever any of them wanted to hang out.

She found herself staring at her device more and more. Her friends realized that she was almost becoming obsessed with her watch, so they made her promise to just let nature take its course and not to look at it, until she found her soul-mate. Natasha unwillingly agreed, but she knew it was for the best, and they only wanted what was good for her. So she would wait.

* * *

It was a Tuesday. Natasha didn't have work that day, so she would always go for a walk in the park. She liked watching the innocent ducks float around in the pond, occasionally tossing whatever was leftover of her sandwich that day. It had been precisely six years, one month, four days, nine hours and ten minutes since the day she first got the implant. Natasha didn't check her device, but had been keeping count in her mind. Was it really so great, having to anxiously wait until the day you met your soul-mate?

The young redhead was twenty-four now, and age was kind to her. She was still incredibly gorgeous, but what was the use if she didn't have someone to share it with? She sighed, watching the small water creatures float and splash around, without a care in the world.

Natasha crumbled the remaining bread and threw it to the ducks, which all flocked to the bread like pigeons. Smiling softly, she got up and walked to the edge of the pond to inspect the quacking ducks. She didn't want to scare them, but she still had the rest of the day to waste. Besides, today was the day she was going to meet her soul-mate, or at least, that's what her device said.

The redhead stood at the edge of the pond and shut her eyes. In her head, she counted to ten minutes. Her heart was beating wildly, she was almost sure she was going to scare the ducks away. After her ten minutes, she opened her eyes. No one was in front of her, or across the pond. Natasha pulled her sleeve up to look at her watch. A big fat zero stared back at her. Sighing sadly, Natasha spun around, only to crash into someone. She blindly grasped for something to hold onto, something to keep her from falling into the pond. Natasha felt a strong arm wrap around her waist. She smelled…peppermint and a dash of cologne.

Natasha tried to step away from the pool, but she lost her footing and fell in with a splash, dragging down the person who was holding her. She was completely and utterly soaked and the small water creatures had scattered. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into the most mesmerizing pools of green she had ever witnessed. Was this her soul-mate? This stranger was absolutely gorgeous, with his beautiful alabaster skin and his perfect cheekbones. Natasha blushed as she realized that she probably looked like an idiot, with her mouth opening and closing like a fish, and the fact that his arm was still wrapped around her waist.

They both sat up, with the stranger removing his arm.

"I am so sorry." Natasha babbled.

"It's quite alright. It's my fault for startling you." He apologized.

"It was a stupid move, to stand at the edge of a pond." She said.

"I hope you don't mind my asking, but why were you standing at the edge of the pond?"

Natasha hesitated, but decided to tell him anyway. After all, what did she have to lose?

"Well, my clock reached zero." Surprise flashed in the stranger's eyes. He didn't say anything, just held out his left wrist. Zero.

"I'm Loki Laufeyson." Loki smiled.

"I'm Natasha Romanoff." She smiled back, because Natasha had finally found her soul-mate.

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**Author's Note: I just thought this was the sweetest thing ever. Well, maybe Pears was sweeter, but this is still sweet~**

**Please Read and Review, Follow and Favourite!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Announcement: Okay, so I don't know if I want to write another chapter or just end it off there, so leave a message or something telling me what you think!**

**Also, here is the picture on my tumblr that this story came from!**

**(Hopefully, it's showing up now.)**

the[dash]silver[dash] .com[slash]post[slash]34963673882[slash]ironheart[dash]capsicle[dash]owl[dash]outside[dash]chris[dash]house

Just put the correct punctuation when typing it into the URL bar.


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